Path of light

Chapter 366 367. Roy’s expansion plan

Outside the second mine fortress, a group of thin mixed-blood elves were slowly moving stones.

They placed the stones on both sides of the road in front of the fortress gate. A dozen mixed-blood elf craftsmen were paving the road with these irregular stone slabs. The project was going smoothly. Roy planned to pave the road from halfway up the mountain to the foot of the mountain. .

Due to another malfunction of the crane arm, more than 40 mixed-blood elves stopped mining underground.

The young mixed-blood elves didn't want to just sit idle, so Roy asked them to pave the road outside the mine fortress.

A string of melodious bells, followed by a breeze, reached the ears of the mixed-blood elves. Everyone looked in the direction from which the bells came. A pack team was walking along the ridge towards the second mine.

The transportation team led by Captain Berkeley arrived as scheduled.

This pack team brought a large amount of supplies, and without the harassment of plateau headhunters, the pack team arrived at the second mine very smoothly.

Captain Roy and Captain Kepler were waiting outside the fortress gate. Captain Berkeley rode at the front. Except for his face being a little pale, there was no other abnormality in his body.

When Captain Berkeley saw Roy and Captain Kepler, he immediately got off his horse, holding the reins in his hand, and walked step by step in front of Roy.

Captain Berkeley hugged Roy.

"Captain Berkeley, I heard you were injured!" Roy asked.

Captain Berkeley patted his left ribs hard, and the leather on his body made a dull thud. He showed a helpless smile and said:

"It's true that he suffered a small injury and has completely healed. It just left a scar here."

The pack team following Captain Berkeley extended to the ridge two kilometers away. These horses were carrying tightly wrapped supplies.

"Is everything going well in the second mine?" Captain Berkeley asked with concern.

"Well enough……"

Roy and Captain Berkeley walked into the mine fortress side by side.

When Captain Berkeley entered the fortress, he saw the thin mixed-blood elves and asked Roy: "Are these mixed-blood elves rescued from the mines?"

Roy nodded and said:

"These mixed-blood elves have suffered a lot in the mines. They are far less flexible and nourishing than the mixed-blood elves in the first mine!"

"Didn't you say that after you rescue them, you will give them freedom? Why did you let them build the road for you here?" Captain Berkeley asked Roy in a low voice as low as possible.

"They want to live temporarily in the second mine, so they usually look for something to do..."

Roy took Captain Berkeley down the stairs to the third floor.

Captain Berkeley stood in the corridor and glanced out, just in time to see the dismantled crane at the entrance of the mine.

"This time I brought two elf craftsmen from the valley camp, and they can help you repair the crane later." Captain Berkeley said.

"That's great..." Roy responded with a smile.

Looking at the slightly immature face in front of him, Captain Berkeley really didn't understand what it was that Lord Swinburne admired about him...

This time he transported a large amount of supplies from the valley camp, and many of the supplies were emptied from the warehouse in the valley camp.

Captain Berkeley was slightly distracted, waiting for him to come back to his senses.

Roy has opened the door and invited Captain Berkeley to come in and sit down...

Roy's office was renovated from the original mine owner's study room. The furnishings in the room have been almost untouched. Currently, there are only a row of treasure boxes stacked in the corner.

Captain Berkeley walked over, bent down and opened the lid of a wooden box, which was filled with red spinels.

Captain Berkeley was startled by so many spinels. He took half a step back and carefully counted the wooden boxes on the wall. There were at least thirty of them, stacked very neatly.

Captain Berkeley tried to open another treasure box, which was still full of spinels.

"You actually got so many high-quality spinels." Captain Berkeley asked in surprise.

He clearly remembered that when the Silver Pegasus Legion captured the second mine, the mine owner dismissed the armed forces of the mine the night before, and then secretly ran into the hinterland of the plateau with his family.

When the mine owner left, he took away all valuable things, including a large amount of high-grade spinel.

The spinels piled in the corner must have been obtained by Roy recently.

Roy replied:

"Spinels like this... there will be many more in the future. I am currently doing a rum-for-ore deal with the gray dwarves in the mine."

"I came here just to talk to you about this." Captain Berkeley sat across from Roy and said, "This time I brought all the wine stored in the valley camp, and I also brought over twenty Bags of wheat flour, these supplies were specially approved by Earl Swinburne. For these supplies, a Silver Pegasus team traveled back and forth between the valley camp and Padstow City."

"...In the next month, there may not be any other supplies delivered. The fastest is the logistics transport team from Padstow City arriving at the valley camp before the rum and ale can be replenished, so your best option is So use it sparingly." Captain Berkeley warned Roy.

"I know, I'll save some."

Leader Berkeley added:

"Currently, the Silver Pegasus Legion has occupied eleven mines in the Pagisto Plateau. Under the mountains here is a rich spinel vein. This vein stretches for hundreds of kilometers between the mountains. On this mountain ridge There are three spinel mines, and you are currently responsible for managing all three mines."

Before Roy could delay, the leader of the Berkeley group said again:

"In addition, there are two mithril mines in the hinterland of the plateau. The two mithril mines also belong to the same vein. Lord Earl hopes that after you settle the mines here, you will take over the two mithril mines. There are three more. A black iron mine belonging to the same vein..."

"..."

Roy was a little dumbfounded. He originally wanted to push down the two mithril mines, but he didn't expect that there were three black iron mines behind them.

"Whether it is the spinel gem mine or the mithril mine, you will take over the management! This is also what the earl means. In addition, your responsibility... In addition to making these mines operate normally, you must also organize To form a trustworthy defense army, it is best to select some young warriors from the mixed-blood elves to form this army. When your guard army is almost formed, Captain Kepler's guard team will withdraw from here... "

The leader of Berkeley said casually:

"The Logistics Department will provide you with military equipment and material supplies..."

He sat on the chair, leaned forward, and lowered his voice and said: "I heard that the mixed elves on the plateau have a resistance army here... The Earl does not want the mixed elves on the plateau to have their own armed forces. You You can try to attract the Elf warriors from the Resistance Army, at least your army will have an official number."

"But I still have to go back to the Elf Academy to study?" Roy's face fell and he argued in a low voice.

But Captain Berkeley shook his head: "When the work here is finished, you can go wherever you like!

We need you here now. Your current role is a bridge between the Silver Pegasus Legion and the plateau mixed-blood elves. It is impossible for the 17th Silver Pegasus Legion to openly recruit mixed-blood elven warriors, and these plateau mixed-blood elves will not be recruited by Silver Moon. The elves were recruited by the legions, and only by forming a guard team of mixed elves on the plateau could the conflicts between the two sides be resolved. "

"Okay, I'll try my best." Roy promised. "Since I have been asked to manage the spinel mine and mithril mine, I actually have some plans and ideas. I hope Captain Berkeley can support me."

"You can put forward any ideas you have!" Leader Berkeley said generously.

Roy opened the drawer and took out a mine reconstruction plan. He smiled and said to Captain Berkeley:

"The facilities in the mine are too old now, and the passages under the mine are too crude, and there are many safety hazards, so I need the maximum support from the logistics team."

Captain Berkeley readily agreed: "No problem. Didn't the Earl agree to this a long time ago?"

Roy coughed twice and whispered: "I may need a lot of support..."

"How much exactly?"

Although Captain Berkeley had the instruction of Earl Swinburne, he felt a little guilty when he heard Roy say this.

Roy pulled out several drawings from the plan book. One of them was a plan for the expansion and reconstruction of the mine shaft. It clearly stated that the shaft passage would be expanded into a double passage and two elevators would be built. The existing crane Arm completely removed.

Just looking at the densely packed steel structure supports on the drawing, the Berkeley leader wanted to close his eyes and keep out of sight...

"Expand the shaft and build an elevator..."

Listening to Roy talking about the mine expansion plan, Captain Berkeley's eyelids twitched. Roy continued:

"I plan to add some support pillars inside the mine and build a safe passage. In addition, a light rail needs to be laid in the main mine tunnel to facilitate the transportation of ore by mine trucks."

Captain Berkeley felt his throat was a little dry. He couldn't help but cough slightly before saying, "If all of your ideas are realized, you may need to build a large furnace on the Pagisto Plateau!"

"By the way, there is one more thing. I must remind you in advance. The Silver Pegasus Legion came from the Queen Egwene Islands. The current war situation there is not very optimistic. Once the situation in the Queen Egwene Islands continues to deteriorate, The Earl is very likely to transfer the Silver Pegasus Legion back to the Queen Egwene Islands at any time."

"Once the Silver Pegasus Legion evacuates, the plateau headhunters will once again have the upper hand on the plateau, so it is imperative that you establish a guard group..."

What Captain Berkeley said is not a secret, but now after careful analysis by Captain Berkeley, Roy also knows that time is running out.

Captain Berkeley came to the second mine with a large amount of supplies...

Before leaving, he also transported away all the spinel mines and spinels that Roy had recently mined.

This time Captain Berkeley brought a large number of linen robes and cloth shoes from the valley camp according to the material catalog listed by Roy. Currently, there are about 800 mixed-blood elves and dark moon elves in the mines. None of these elves have clothes. and shoes to wear.

Although some clothes were found from the fortress a few days ago and distributed, there are still many mixed-blood elves who have not been allocated clothes...

The linen robes that Captain Berkeley brought this time were the lined robes that the elven warriors of the Silver Pegasus Legion often wore. As soon as Captain Berkeley left, Roy distributed these supplies.

Each mixed-blood elf can be assigned a robe and a pair of cloth shoes, and Roy also made it clear that the mixed-blood elves can stay and make money in the mines. Of course, they can also carry their bags and return to the gathering place of mixed-blood elves. You can also live in the barrier town.

What surprised Roy was... not many mixed elves were willing to return to the gathering place, and many mixed elves preferred to stay in the mines.

In addition, the Dark Moon elves who live below the mines also received linen clothes and shoes.

In addition, there are some camping tents and cooking pots...

The life of the Dark Moon Elves in the mines has been significantly improved. Some Dark Moon Elves gathered together to eat and were still discussing: 'Master Roy said that as long as everyone works hard, they will be free in a short time. ’

In fact, the Dark Moon elves like to follow the strong. They were convinced by Roy and wanted to follow Roy.

…

A whole barrel of rum was drunk by the dwarves.

In the past few decades, these gray dwarves have been locked up in the mine, and they are usually suppressed by the Dark Moon Elves. They can only huddle in the deepest tunnel of the mine all day long. They can't even smell the smell of wine... …

Now I finally got a big barrel of rum.

For all dwarves, these rums have a fatal attraction...

That night, the gray dwarves were very drunk.

He even forgot about rushing to the northern mining area of ​​the mine to dig for gemstones the next morning.

When these dwarves gradually woke up, they realized that it was soon time to exchange for rum.

But this time the gray dwarves seemed very brave. They did not continue to take out the polished spinels from the treasure house. Instead, they seized the time to mine the ores and sent a message to Roy, temporarily delaying the deal.

After a group of gray dwarves drank wine, all the emotions accumulated in their hearts were released...

Suddenly, the bunker built by the dwarves suddenly became howling like ghosts.

Dasher woke up from his hangover and heard Elder Apton muttering to the gray dwarves around him:

"We have to wait for the opportunity... we have to find a way to kill those Dark Moon elves..."

"Elder Apton, how can we defeat those Dark Moon Elves..."

One of the dwarves sighed.

…

Roy still followed Captain Berkeley's suggestion and decided to form a guard group at the second mine first.

The physiques of these mixed-blood elf mine slaves were too weak, and the Dark Moon elves in the mines were not trustworthy, so Roy decided to ask Mulin to go to the gathering place in the mountains, bring back a group of young mixed-blood elves, and at the same time, send some of the young mixed-blood elves who wanted to go to the gathering place. The mixed-blood elf miners were sent over.

So this time Mu Lin left the second mine with nearly 130 mixed-blood elven miners and headed to the gathering place of mixed-blood elves.